Millennium Plaza

Kent, Washington, USA, 2001

Millennium Plaza, located in front of Kent Commons Community Center, was commissioned to mark the Millennium. The design plays with the concept of time in that it draws on ancient and timeless icons but translates them to contemporary forms. A prominent stainless steel pyramid is a symbol of the community’s accumulated history and knowledge and houses a time capsule filled by citizens that will not be opened until 2112. Smaller cast iron pyramids punctuate the paving, with one housing a second time capsule on a shorter schedule. A sundial acts as a time-keeping device. A boxwood parterre garden is juxtaposed with a native plant garden surrounding the plaza that acts as a natural time capsule.